Chile resumes interest rate cuts
Chile became the third Latin American nation in two months to resume interest rate cuts after inflation slowed and the economy grew at the slowest pace in four years. Led by President Rodrigo Vergara, central bank policy makers reduced the benchmark interest rate by a quarter-point to 3.75% yesterday.
Chile joins Peru and Mexico in easing monetary policy after a three-month pause, as economic growth in the three countries misses economist forecasts. A smaller-than-expected increase in prices in June also eased the way to yesterday’s reduction, with inflation slowing for the first time in eight months.
The government reduced its growth forecast for 2014 to 3.2% on July 14, compared with the 4.9% estimate included in the budget plan for this year. The economy expanded 2.3% in May from the year earlier, while annual inflation slowed to 4.3% last month from a year earlier, compared with 4.7% in May. Inflation had exceeded analysts’ forecasts in each of the previous four months.
The central bank targets inflation of 2% to 4%, but has cut the benchmark rate five times since October.
Colombia and Brazil are the only Latin American nations raising interest rates this year.
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